It’s time to get rid of instant replay. I reached this conclusion, finally, while watching the Memphis Tigers football team get totally robbed last Saturday in a game against Temple. The Tigers came into the game with a perfect 5-0 record, one of their best starts in a long time.
But, thanks to a decision made by instant replay officials, they now have a loss and will likely not accomplish their dream of playing in one of the big New Year’s Six bowl games.
The Tigers, who were on the road, trailed by two points with 2:46 left in the game. They were facing a fourth and nine when quarterback Brady White miraculously completed a pass to tight end Joey Magnifico. It was an incredible diving catch by Magnifico, who made an adjustment to the under thrown ball.
The ball was ruled a catch. First down Memphis. Everyone in the stands thought it was a catch. The announcers on television said it was a catch.
But, the play was reviewed, and, what seemed like twenty minutes later, the referee said that instant replay proved that it was not a catch.
Say what?
I have gone back and watched the replay a million different times from all the available angles. And, every time I watch it, it still looks like a catch to me. At best, it’s inconclusive which means the rule on the field should have stood
Which brings me back to my original point.
The only reason why replay should exist is if it gets the call right 100 percent of the time. These days, however, it seems replay officials are wrong just as much as the referees on the field. Replay officials have the ability to slow a play down to 1/10th speed, but, in the end, they still just seem to be making judgment calls too often.
If this is the case, then the time it takes to replay all of these plays just is not worth it. There are already enough stoppages and commercial breaks in football games. Replays just make it even slower.
It is not just football either. Thanks to replay, the last minute of a competitive NBA game, can become excruciatingly painful to watch.
By throwing instant replay into the ash bin referees would be empowered to make decisions without worrying about someone always looking over their shoulder.
If we did get rid of replay, would there be occasional times of injustice? Of course, but we have those right now. The games just take a lot longer.
Thankfully, instant replay will not be used in this week’s great slate of high school football games.
(All high school games are Friday at 7 p.m.)
Greenville High (3-4) at South Panola (7-1): The Hornets are now deep into the most brutal part of their season, but Coach Quintarus McCray will have them fighting hard until the end. South Panola 40, Greenville 18.
Leland (1-7) at O’Bannon (2-5): Marcus Flowers will have a big game for the Cubs, but the Greenwaves will pull out a tight victory. O’Bannon 22, Leland 20.
St. Joseph Catholic School (8-0) at Bayou Academy (1-7): After their great win over Pillow Academy last Friday, the Irish have silenced all their doubters. St. Joseph 44, Pillow 14.
Washington School (2-6) at St. Aloysius (3-5) Washington Coach Greg Wallace and his Generals pick up a much needed win in Vicksburg. Washington 36, St. Aloysius 24.
Simmons (4-3) at Shaw (3-5): Last week’s loss to Leflore County was only a hiccup for the Blue Devils. Simmons 33, Shaw 12.
Greenville Christian (4-4) at Indianola Academy (4-4): Coach Jon Reed McLendon and his Saints are only getting stronger as the season nears it’s end. Greenville Christian 29, Indianola 23.
North Sunflower Academy (2-5) at Deer Creek (4-4): The first season playing 8-man football is turning out to be a lot of fun for the Warriors. They will add to the fun on Saturday. Deer Creek 44, North Sunflower 30.
Riverside (2-6) at South Delta (7-1): South Delta will win this battle of the Bulldogs. South Delta 32, Riverside 13.
LSU (6-0) at Mississippi State (3-3) Saturday 2:30 p.m., CBS: Last week’s loss to the Vols was the worse loss in coach Joe Moorhead’s tenure. Things won’t get better after this week. LSU 44, Mississippi State 13.
Texas A&M (3-3) at Ole Miss (3-4) Saturday, 6:30 p.m., SECN: Not much positive about either Ole Miss or Miss. State this season, but with these mediocre teams the Egg Bowl should be good. Texas A&M 27, Ole Miss 17.
New Orleans (5-1) at Chicago (3-2), Sunday, 3:25 p.m., FOX: This is where not having Drew Brees behind center will start catching up to the Saints. Chicago 38, New Orleans 29.
Philadelphia (3-3) at Dallas (3-3), Sunday 7:20 p.m., NBC: I am beginning to wonder if the Cowboys will make it back to the Super Bowl in my lifetime. Philadelphia 23, Dallas 21.
David W. Healy is the sports editor of the Delta Democrat Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com
